Hi David! You’re the studio manager for Landscape Design in Gothenburg. Tell us a little more about the studio?
Right before Covid 19 presented itself MARELD made the strategic decision to separate the Gothenburg Office into two separate studios. The Landscape Design Studio can be seen as the continuation of the previous landscape architectural practice whereas the Urban Design Studio is a new adventure!
What are the strengths of the studio?
We are a diverse and dynamic team consisting of landscape architects and engineers. One of major strengths is the studios project portfolio we have built up together over the last 10-15 years.
How do you work in the studio?
Ideally in close collaboration with our clients, co-consultants and of course alongside one another! We, like many others, have had to adapt to new working ways during this pandemic but we look forward to being able to the physical side of our work again!
Describe a dream project?
There are many factors that contribute to what I would consider a dream project. The projects where we have delivered the best results have been those where we have built-up strong relationships with the client and project groups. It’s essential that this chemistry exists if a project is to succeed! We have learnt that we deliver the best results when we can involve ourselves in the earlier stage of a project and then contribute and communicate our thoughts and ideas through a projects life cycle. This is in part why we decided to start the Urban Design Studio to present ourselves as a holistic landscape architectural practice.
A dream project should be challenging, it should address modern day issues such as climate change whilst offering creative design solutions for humans and nature to thrive in harmony.
What does a typical work week look like for you?
I’d say I spend around 15-20% my time driving the Landscape Design Studio forward. In the run up to Christmas we held a well-received seminar on “sustainable architecture and circular economy” together with clients and architects which was fun. It kind of depends on project commitments too! Sometimes our profession demands a little extra from us all to deliver but yes, I try and involve myself in project works as much as possible. I love the social side of landscape architecture!
Any other fun you want to share?
Yes, I’m looking forward to getting started on two new projects in early 2022. Both consist of large-scale landscape masterplanning with focus on the sustainable management of rainwater. I’m also excited that a few of the larger projects that MARELD has worked on over the last 5-10 years are due for completion (in some cases partial completion) under 2022. It’s going to be a busy year!